Hurricane season in the Caribbean is about to begin so we’ve put together a little primer of hurricane basics for travellers.  While it is unlikely that Cancun and the Riviera Maya will experience a hurricane this year, we do want to assure you that authorities are well prepared to handle any weather situation.   The safety and comfort of travellers is a priority for all in the region, no need to worry, just educate yourself for the “what ifs”.  Here are some tips for travelling in the summer season, truly a great time to visit, bargains galore, sunshine, sand and sea for the whole family!

1.  Hurricane season is technically June 1 to November 30.  An old sailors’ poem states:

“June too soon.
July stand by.
August look out you must.
September remember.
October all over.”

June is generally a pretty calm month in the Atlantic and Caribbean, but as the ocean temperatures start to increase in the summer heat, so do the chances of a tropical storm or hurricane.  Chances of a tropical storm or hurricane increase as the season progresses.  The worst hurricane to hit Cancun in recent history was Hurricane Wilma, wreaking her destruction over two days at the end of October, 2005.  Booking a vacation during hurricane season might be risky, but for the slight chance of a storm, you’ll find some great low season discounts!

2.  Buy travel insurance- It’s always a good idea, but particularly when travelling during tropical storm season.  Purchase your travel insurance at the time of booking your trip, if you try to buy it once the storm has formed, you won’t receive coverage.  Travel insurance plans vary in what they cover, be sure to read the fine print!

3.  Monitor storm activity in the days preceding your trip-  While it’s not necessary to obsess or fret about the upcoming weather (and really, how accurate are the regular forecasts?), it is a good idea to check out what the experts are saying about storm formations.  Two great resources are the National Hurricane Center and Storm Pulse.  While storms are not always predicatable, travellers and travel agents should know if there is something brewing out there.  You will have a few days to make alternative plans or cancel your trip or hang in there to watch where the storm is going to go, if it’s going to increase in intensity or if it (hopefully) fizzles out.  For travellers visiting Cancun and the Riviera Maya, you’ll want to monitor the activity in the Atlantic region.

4.  What to expect if you get caught in a hurricane-  If a hurricane strikes while you are travelling, the most important thing to do is stay calm.  The hotels and authorities have tried and true plans for keeping you safe and dry during the storm.  Cancun and the Riviera Maya have excellent evacuation plans, safe hurricane shelters and experience in emergency situations.  Ask just about anyone who was unlucky enough to be in Cancun for Hurricane Wilma, they will tell you they were well taken care of.  It might mean tuna sandwiches for a day or two, but you will be kept safe.  You can expect high winds, rains and flooding, thus it’s important to carefully follow the instructions of the hotel staff and authorities, they will keep you out of harm’s way.  Electricity will be cut, generally well before the storm arrives in order to prevent any accidents from live power lines falling, be sure to charge any gadgets when you have the chance.  You may be evacuated from your hotel, have a bag packed with essentials (you might want to grab some alcohol hand gel or baby wipes and extra toilet paper) and have all your vital documents together, a plastic bag can protect them from the elements.  Cel phone service may be lost during a storm, contact folks back home when you have the chance, let them know the name of your hotel and the location of the shelter if you are being evacuated.  Be sure to have some cash on hand, just in case, when the power is out credit cards don’t work and neither do ATMs of course.  The big complaint during Wilma was boredom, not much to do in a shelter, bring a pack of cards, books, pen and paper to journal the experience, and something to keep the kids occupied.

5.  Travel registries-  Whenever you travel out of country it’s a good idea to notify your home government that you will be abroad.  Residents of the United States of America can register online at the U.S. State Department Travel Registration site, Canadians can register with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and British nationals can register with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.  For travellers from other countries, a quick internet search will locate your country’s registration requirements.

If you’re looking to travel during the storm season, don’t hesitate!  Go ahead and book, enjoy the low season deals!  Thousands of travellers take advantage of the great summer travel sales and never have any issues with storms, they are still a rare occurence in the region.  Be prepared, be aware and be safe.  Follow Cancun Travel on Twitter and on Facebook, we will be monitoring the Atlantic all season and will be sharing any warnings that come up for the Cancun and Riviera Maya region. Safe journeys everyone, here’s to a calm 2010 hurricane season!

photo courtesy Storms 411

Mark Wilson guiding a young player at "Golf Para Todos"

This past Sunday, January 24th, 2010, the Mayakoba Golf Classic presented “Golf Para Todos” in the Riviera Maya.  “Golf Para Todos” is a free community event, inviting locals and tourists, experienced golfers and “newbies” to learn more about the game of golf and enjoy a social day at the beautiful Mayakoba practice facility.  Mark Wilson, the 2009 Mayakoba Golf Classic champ, brought his expertise to the course this year, guiding young golfers, offering tips and tricks to adults and signing autographs as an ambassador to the great game of golf and the PGA TOUR.  Almost 1000 people came out to enjoy the day, to meet the PGA TOUR champ, and to practice their driving and putting skills.

Kids' area at "Golf Para Todos"

Even the tiniest children were invited to particpate, with wee golf clubs and patient instructors giving them a hand.  The free food and drinks kept everyone’s appetites satisfied, with  Yaxche Mayan Cuisine serving up local delicacies.  The event was a grand success, we at Cancun Travel would like to congratulate and thank “Golf Para Todos” for offering such a terrific day to the people of the Riviera Maya.  There were some talented kid golfers participating, perhaps this inspiring day has planted the seeds of a future PGA champ.  For more photos, please see our “Golf Para Todos” flickr set.

2009 Mayakoba Golf Classic Champ Mark Wilson

The Mayakoba Golf Classic is the only PGA TOUR event outside of the US and Canada.  This year’s tournament comes to the Riviera Maya February 18-21st, 2010 at the beautiful and challenging El Camaleón Golf Club.  The course was designed by Greg Norman, with cenotes (natural limestone sinkholes), jungle, mangrove and beach, it’s a unique venue without a doubt.  PGA TOUR professionals will be demonstrating their talent on the links and vying for the 3.6 million USD purse, including the 2009 champ Mark Wilson, John Daly and Boo Weekley.  Mexico will be represented by two top national players on the PGA TOUR, Esteban Toledo and Jose Trauwitz, we wish them lots of luck!

Mark Wilson at Rio Secreto- photo courtesy Mayakoba Golf Classic Facebook Page

These lucky pros and amateurs will not only be working, they’ll be able to explore activities in the Riviera Maya.  Swimming with dolphins in Puerto Aventuras, playing on the beautiful beaches, checking out the great restaurants on 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen or exploring hidden caves and cenotes at Rio Secreto, the players and their families will certainly enjoy their visit to the Yucatan Peninsula.

Tickets are still available for the Mayakoba Golf Classic, contact Cancun Travel to reserve your spot now!

Buy tickets to the Mayakoba Golf Classic here, the only PGA TOUR event in Mexico!

The Mayakoba Golf Classic is returning to the Riviera Maya February 17-21, 2010 for the third year running.  In 2007, the Mayakoba Golf Classic became the first PGA tournament to be played outside of the US and Canada and the event continues to grow and thrive. This year 132 professional golfers will be participating in the event, vying for the 3.6 million USD purse and enjoying the beauty of the Riviera Maya and Playa del Carmen.

The El Camaleón Golf Club at Mayakoba is unique, one of a kind in the golfing world.  Designed by the world-famous Greg Norman, the course weaves and winds through jungle, mangroves and beach and even incorporates a “cenote” (natural limestone cavern) into its 7039 yard stretch.  A challenging and beautiful course, El Camaleón Golf Club also boasts a fantastic Mayan style club house and top of the line practice facilities.  The incredible design of Mayakoba and the El Camaleón Golf Club allows players to step out of their rooms and into a boat on the resort’s canals to be ferried to the first tee.  With views of the turquoise sea and the flora and fauna of the area, the Mayakoba Golf Classic is one of the highlights of the PGA TOUR season for players and fans alike.

The Mayakoba Golf Classic is dedicated to supporting local, national and international charitable institutions.  This year’s tournament is for the benefit of many charities, including “Golf Para Todos”, “The City of Joy Foundation”, and “The Lorena Ochoa Foundation” among others. For a complete list, please visit the list of Mayakoba Golf Classic Beneficiaries and lend your support to these worthwhile organizations.

Cancun Travel is thrilled to be able to bring you to this incredible PGA TOUR event.  Contact us for tickets to the Mayakoba Golf Classic and allow us to assist you in your Riviera Maya vacation plans.

From all of us at Cancun Travel, we wish you a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2010.  May your days be filled with warmth and sunshine and may all the roads you travel be smooth.

We hope that the new year brings you back to Cancun and the Riviera Maya and Cancun Travel will be here to assist you with all your 2010 travel plans.  Feliz Año Nuevo, Happy New Year!

(Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and join our Cancun Travel Facebook page, we’d love to hear from you!)

If you are a Cancun lover, you’ll know that we are in the midst of a huge beach reconstruction project to rebuild the beaches that were lost in the hurricane in 2005.  So far the project is a huge success, with many hotels and public beaches gaining 80 to 100 meters of sand!  Some spots along the strip had been reduced to nothing, just rocks and water crashing against the barrier walls.  Now, the stretch of sand is huge, perfect for football, lazing in the sun, flying kites or romping in the surf.  I’ve been monitoring the project and every time I trek out to the hotel zone a big “WOW” comes flying out of my mouth when I see what they are accomplishing.  They are moving fast, the place looks great and hopefully more and more tourists will return to Cancun for the beaches that we are accustomed to.

The photos above show the incredible difference a couple of weeks can make.  This is located at Playa Marlin, near the Villas Marlin and Barcelo Tucancun.  So great to see the massive change in the beach!

The best news of the morning is that the beach behind the Royal Sands hotel is now open.  They’ve moved lounge chairs and umbrellas down to the sand and people were flocking to the new stretch of beach.  The pipes have been removed from about half of the beach behind the Sands, the project continues to move south from there.

The work is currently between the Royal Sands and Le Meridien.  Work should commence very soon on the Cancun Palace and the Marriott hotels.  Here’s a “before” photo behind Cancun Palace looking south towards the JW Marriott, will have some “after” shots soon!

You can find more photos on our Flickr page, here’s today’s Cancun beach recovery set.  Don’t forget to join our Cancun Travel Facebook page to share your own photos with us, we’d love to have you with us!  Stayed tuned for more updates and Happy Holidays from Cancun Travel!

The Cancun beach recovery project continues to move ahead in bringing back the gorgeous beaches that were destroyed by Hurricane Wilma in 2005.  With an investment of $71 million USD, the work will restore the beaches of Cancun’s hotel zone (east side), Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel.  As of today, the beach reconstruction workers have reached The Aqua hotel (around km 12.5) and will continue south.  Two hotels on the strip (the Gran Caribe Real and The Royal) had faced legal difficulties with the project and were told they would not receive the beach treatment, but an agreement has been reached and they are being included in the beach reconstruction.

Big New Beach Behind Bay View Grand

The work that has been completed from Punta Cancun down to The Aqua hotel shows a huge stretch of white sandy beach, 80-100 meters wide.  The sand is still settling and there are areas that have a “ledge” where the sand has naturally eroded.  It is still a spectacular beach and access to the ocean is only minimally impeded.  The large pipes that were brought in to carry the sand have been removed from the area as far south as Le Blanc, but there is a fenced area running parallel to the sea where vehicles are passing from one end of the project to the other, simply be cautious when passing between the fences on your way to the sea.  It is expected that the project will reach the Royal Sands this weekend or early next week.

Behind Plaza Forum Before

Behind Plaza Forum After

Current Work Behind The Aqua (Dec. 8/2009)

Tourists are eager for information about this project and while many are asking “when will the project be at my hotel?”, it’s really difficult to guess.  The project is moving quickly, but, as nature can impede the progress, it’s virtually impossible to say “your hotel will have sand” for a specific date.  It’s estimated that the project will be completed by February, definitely in time for spring break.

To give you another “before” photo and an idea of why this project is so necessary, here’s a look behind the Villas Marlin from around the Barcelo Tucancun.  In a very short while (probably less than a week), this beach will have a whole new look, I can’t wait to have the after photos for you!

Cancun Travel will continue to bring you Cancun beach recovery updates, stay tuned!  Don´t forget to follow us on Twitter and join us on Facebook for all the latest.